ANOTHER ANDERSON IS AT HASTINGS RACECOURSE WITH FAMILY MATRIARCH JUNE ANDERSON
Of all the stories you’ve heard and read over the years about kids being introduced to a racetrack by their parents early in life, this one takes the cake.
And speaking of cake, odds are there’ll be a snazzy one upstairs in the Skybox today with Jacob Anderson’s name spread across it in colorful icing. Jacob is celebrating his 1st birthday. And to put it in racing terms, it won’t be his debut at Hastings by a longshot. Taylor Anderson and fiancé Jen Reichling welcomed Jacob to the world on Friday, September 18, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. Four days later, he was at the track.
There will be approximately 20 members of the Anderson clan on hand to celebrate Jacob’s milestone birthday. The guest list will include, of course, great-grandmother June, the matriarch of the family, who continues to make regular appearances in the winner’s circle.
Her late husband R.G. (Papa Cy) Anderson enjoyed 45 years in the racing industry. Mr. Anderson, a proud member of the B.C. Horse Racing Hall of Fame, passed away at age 77 on the family farm in Aldergrove.
Papa Cy’s legacy lives on at Hastings with son Mike Anderson, last year’s leading trainer, on course to be a repeat winner this year and daughter Barb Heads, still successfully active at Hastings after sharing the leading trainers’ title with Terry Clyde in 2006.
Mike’s brother Robbie and Mike’s son Taylor are also talented trainers carrying on the family tradition.
And now there’s Jacob, a B.C.-bred yearling already in the record books as the youngest person with Anderson bloodlines to ever gain entrance through the horsemen’s gate at Hastings Racecourse.
Welcome aboard young man. You’re in good company.
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport
